Posts tagged ‘mushrooms’

When I moved to NYC six months ago (Six months ago? What?) I knew that I would have to make cuts to my budget when it comes to food, and it is important to buy as many fresh veggies as possible. Since moving here, I have cut down on my meat consumption significantly because of the cost. Going semi-vegetarian was never hard for me, but it is not a lifestyle that I would force on anyone. My body probably performs its best on a completely vegan diet, but I can’t really imagine a life without cheese. While I never cooked that much meat in general, I do enjoy ordering fish or seafood when I am out. We all have different priorities and goals.

During every grocery trip, mushrooms, a good, hearty bread and spinach are always on my list. You can make something similar with your favorite veggies, arugula and goat cheese are always winners, with some freshly cracked black pepper.

Ingredients

1 slice country unbleached whole wheat bread, usually an artisanal variety (I love the unevenness of the slices and supporting local bakeries, which is easy to do when you are shopping in a local grocery store in Brooklyn, but use whatever you can find)

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves, or whatever green you prefer

1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms

1 generous tablespoon soft goat cheese

Freshly cracked black pepper, if desired

Directions

Toast bread if desired. Spread with cheese and top with spinach and mushrooms. Top with freshly cracked black pepper if desired.

Before we get started, it is important to learn how to poach an egg. I had to learn a year or two back, and I cannot go back to ife before I knew how to do such a fabulous thing like poaching eggs. So live a full, complete life and learn this necessary life skill my friends, I implore you! – – How to Poach an Egg from the Kitchn

There are not many things in life I enjoy more than a poached egg, bread and mushrooms. The earthy and simple flavors of this vegetable adds to a simple. balanced, perfect breakfast. I am such a fan of breakfasts that I would eat this dish anytime and for any meal. The crustier the bread, the better in this situation. The nooks and crannies of it will absorb the sauce of the paoched egg, and it will be a flavor explosion in your mouth.

Toast your bread if desired. Set some butter out on the table. Use the nice plates. Top sauteed mushrooms with scallions. fresh herbs of your liking, and salt and pepper. Place mushrooms on french bread slices and top with poached egg. Use a fork or your fingers and devour. The simple flavors of this dish are immensely satisfying.

It’s like orzo without the gluten and you get the added benefits of the nutrients in cauliflower. This is one of my favorite vegetables because it is so versatile.

Ingredients

2 cups steamed cauliflower, cooled and “riced” in a blender or food processor (This means taking the steamed cauliflower and pulsing it in a blender until the consistency is that of rice, or taking raw cauliflower, “ricing” in a food processor and then steaming the cauliflower. Steam the cauliflower in a broth for more flavor, if desired)

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup spinach, diced finely

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Pink himalayan salt, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

Take the steamed cauliflower and sauté with spinach and garlic on medium heat. When the spinach is wilted but still green, about 5 to 6 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients and serve.

3 cups spinach 1 tomato, diced 1 cup risoni (orzo) pasta 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons for stirring, 2 tablespoons for topping ½ teaspoon crushed garlic 4 tablespoons olive oil Pepper to taste
Directions:
Pour two cups of the chicken stock into a hot saucepan. Have the stock come to a boil and pour in the ½ cup of orzo pasta. Keep stirring so that pasta does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. In a small frypan on another burner, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil and throw in the diced tomato, the crushed garlic, the button mushrooms, and the roast chicken. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the tomato has liquefied, and the skin of the tomato comes off. The chicken is already cooked so you are just warming it up and having the flavors of the tomato and garlic fuse with it.
The orzo should be creamy because of the chicken stock and it should have soaked up the entire flavor of the chicken stock as well. By this time, the tomato, garlic, chicken, and mushroom should be roasted and you can pour the contents of the pan into the saucepan with the chicken orzo. Mix well and add pepper to taste. The final touch is the Parmesan. Add on top and mix well, and add some more on top for garnish. In the end, you get a hot, small pasta with a ton of flavor and cheesy goodness. Red pepper flakes are option if you are feeling spice!

This is the fastest dinner for those days you just want to do something other than cook. From start to finish, these are ten minutes. Great with a kale massaged salad or spinach and some nice shavings of Parmesan Reggiano and tomatoes, with a touch of balsamic. These work better on a stove than baked, and most students have access to a kitchen in their dorms, so hopefully these let you do the whole easy eating on a budget and quickly thing. I feel the pain of the college student. As someone who loves to cook, it wasn’t very realistic for me to prep meals throughout the week, and using a meal plan quickly backfired. It was extremely difficult to find healthy choices. Even the salads were extremely processed and low quality. For someone who didn’t have car, I had to rely on other people going to the grocery store to pick up something healthy, and even then the easiness of a green smoothie or a green juice in the morning wasn’t always realistic.

Cooking has been a learning process for me, and there have been many mistakes along the way. My tastebuds have changed throughout the years as well, which has inspired me to cook more with veggies I wouldn’t normally give a chance to. I am happy though that I had this revelation at a young age, rather than waiting till I was 42 and realizing I was giving my body, the only one I have, the worst treatment.

From the melty cheese to the tangy tomato sauce, to the precut quinoa polenta slices, these soak up all that cheesy pizza flavor that screams comfort and nostalgia. I don’t know what it is about pizza, but it is one of my favorite foods. Maybe it is because it is the perfect vessel to showcase beautiful veggies covered in a light blanket of awesome sauce, or maybe it is because it is a childhood staple, but these do not disappoint.

Ingredients

Serves 2

1/2 package quinoa polenta, I found this prepackaged, which is why it is such a fast meal

1/2 cup tomato sauce, (I used a jar for this mostly because I don’t love anything drenched in tomato sauce, but please adjust according to your tastes)

1/2 cup low fat mozzarella, or regular shredded mozzarella (Get the block and shred yourself if you have the time, always tastes better)

1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 3 fresh basil leaves

Turkey bacon, optional

Sautéed mushrooms, optional

Turkey pepperoni, optional

Pineapple chunks, optional

Sliced sautéed ham, cold cuts, optional

Soy chorizo or turkey sausage, optional

Freshly cracked black pepper

Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

Pan saute the quinoa polenta, sliced.If you don’t want to use oil to sauté them, feel free to wet sauté with some veggie or chicken broth. After you have a good sear on both sides, about three or four minutes on medium heat, top with warmed tomato sauce and your desired toppings. This can be really fun because you can make individual polenta pizzas and make this for a crowd if you want. Everyone is different about pizza, but if you ask me, the best way to have this is margarita style. But I am a mushroom fan as well and that also settles a craving like no other.

Protein in a delicious, colorful bowl. Beans are cheap and nutritional powerhouses, so this is a superstar bowl you have here.

Ingredients

1 cup rinsed kidney beans

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup sautéed mushrooms, any kind

1 cup spinach

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Romano or Parmesan

1 teaspoon olive oil

Freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

Saute kidney beans with olive oil and minced garlic, until cooked through,about five minutes on medium heat. Add spinach leaves and cooked quinoa to mixture. Add mushrooms and dried basil and cook through, about another five minutes. Add vegetable broth if you want the additional home cooked flavor. This also makes the dish less oily because you are basically wet sauté-ing the dish. Top with black pepper and cheese if desired.

A veggie loaded superstar that fuels you all morning with a great combination of proteins and nutrients. Also it is so easy, you can make it for the week and it stores great in the fridge for you to warm up every morning.

Ingredients

Serves 6

6 eggs

1/2 cup egg whites

2 cups cooked quinoa

5 baby portobella mushrooms, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cups spinach

2 sprigs parsley, chopped

1/2 cup low fat cheese, I used mozzarella

1 teaspoon pesto

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything except cheese in a big bowl and pour into a sprayed baking dish. Top with both cheeses and bake for 25 minutes or 30 depending on your oven. Slice into pieces and eat a slice in the morning all week, or great for a crowd!